


Seven Days

by black_tea_blue_pens



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: AU where the snowbaz rivalry isn't that relevant, Canon Divergence, Carry on era, Fencing AU, High School AU, M/M, Seven Days manga AU, Simon and Agatha are exes, Simon and Philippa are exes, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Agatha Wellbelove Friendship, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28893516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_tea_blue_pens/pseuds/black_tea_blue_pens
Summary: Simon goes out with the very first person who asks him every Monday, breaking up with them if he hasn't fallen in love by Sunday. Baz decides to take his chance.
Relationships: Penelope Bunce & Simon Snow, Penelope Bunce/Micah Cordero, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Agatha Wellbelove, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Comments: 27
Kudos: 44





	1. Monday

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to [Blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mybluebucketofsnow/works) for not only beta reading but helping with developing the plot and the whole AU, world setting and such!!

**BAZ**

Some people say having a crush is fun. You stare at them when you are in the same room. Blush when they talk to you. Get your hopes up. Feel disappointed. Get over it.

It is somehow different when it goes on for years and you’re still unable to confess, while he goes out with a different girl every week. Tricks you into useless hope. Next one could easily be you. But at the same time… All those girls, and none was the right one. How could I stand a chance? He would likely straight up reject a  _ boy _ .

It’s Monday morning. The circle repeats itself and Simon will go out with the first girl that will ask him out, starting as soon as he wakes up. I usually witness the process, feeling sadness and faking annoyance as he goes into the dining room for breakfast with the lucky one that caught him when he left the room. But I do have one advantage for sure. After all, I’m his roommate.

He wakes up and looks at me with sleepy eyes and messy curls, and he’s so handsome I feel weak.

“Good morning,” Simon says carelessly, stretching. He says it with no real meaning, I don’t think he really cares if I’m in the room at all.

I helplessly stare at him as he gets dressed up, his back to me. I have nothing to lose, right? I'm already in an unrequited crush situation. I’d ask, a week would pass and then… At least I’d have my shot.

"Go out with me," I blurt. He turns around, still half-naked. Stares at me, eyes wide with surprise.

I fear the answer.

Then he smiles and it's warm and kind and sincere. Just like everything Simon ever does.

I don’t wait for the answer. I use that pause to grab my towel and enter the bathroom. Scalding water falls on me and it feels good, or at least better than the knot that has installed in my stomach. I spend there as long as I can allow myself, lengthening the moment to face Simon again.

_ What the hell did I just do?  _ He will for sure laugh me off, or even worse — pretend like nothing happened. 

When I get out of the shower, Simon has gone for breakfast. Penelope probably came to pick him up. Of fucking course. It’s not like it changes anything. Just delays my undeniable fiasco.

When I get to the dining room, I see the occasional girl approaching Simon get rejected with a kind, somewhat guilty smile. I wonder who’s the lucky one this week.

Classes pass by, as plain as always. On break, I approach Agatha.

“Hey, Wellbelove.”

“Basilton,” she nods at me nonchalantly.

I decide to be straightforward.

“You went out with Simon Snow, right?”

She gives me a short, curious look.

“Yes, why?”

“I’m just curious. In the last three years, ever since he saved us from that dragon… All these girls that he’s dating — He keeps on rejecting them. And yet they just keep on going.”

“If only you lifted your nose from the books from time to time and were a little more attentive to what’s happening around you, you would have known. You’re three years late.”

I narrow my eyes, “Tell me, Wellbelove. I see your Transformation grades dropping without my help.”

Agatha sighs.

“I think it started a little bit after the dragon thing. When the first girl confessed to him. He only got to be with her for one week, and then... He said ‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t fall in love with you. Let’s break up’.”

“How do you know?”

“He has said the same thing to everyone since then.”

“Are they idiots?” I frown. ”Why would they keep trying?”

“I think the first few genuinely had a crush on him. And most of the others probably did, too. Some of us just tried to see with our own eyes. Everyone at school said that going out with him was a fairy tale experience. And I can confirm it. He will treat you so amazingly, take care of you, but he’s also respectful… You know. Like Simon usually is. Kind enough to erase everything else”.

“And he has never cheated?”

Agatha looks down, her long eyelashes quivering. “Not that I’m aware of.”

So that’s what I would get with him… A fairy tale and a heartbreak. Sounds like a perfect deal.

“But it was not my thing,” she adds. “I don’t think I would have stayed with him even if he had wanted to. It was too much.”

A pause. I don’t know if I could deal with the breakup. I love him too much. I’m too greedy. I’ve been after him for too long.

“And now that I answered all of your questions, help me with that Transformation exercise.”

I scoff.

“Fine.”

Simon is waiting for me when all the classes are over.

“Hi,” he greets me with his usual smile. “How did classes go?”

I stare at him. What’s that question for?

“Anyways,” he insists. “Do you want to go out somewhere? Let’s go take a walk.”

My heart gives a few quick traitorous beats.

“Snow, shouldn’t you be somewhere else now?”

“Huh? No?”

I raise my eyebrow. This idiot thinks I pay no attention at all.

“Fencing club?” I ask pointedly.

He pushes his hand through his hair, raffling it with annoyance.

“Ah yes, I should go.” There is disappointment in his voice. I try not to take it personally.

He’s about to go when he turns around.

“Aren’t you in the fencing lessons too?”

I shake my head. “I’m spared for today because I participated in this weekend’s competition. Now go.”

Snow leaves and I head to the room alone. What’s with this sudden urge to spend time together? It can’t be that he took my proposal seriously. Even I didn’t take it seriously myself. He didn’t react at all, so I would rather take it as it is — as a sad joke that echoed for a moment in my head. 


	2. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon's reasoning, fencing and ramen

**SIMON**

_ I’m going out with a boy. _ That’s my first thought when I wake up in the morning. Then the second one.  _ It probably doesn’t matter _ . I haven’t fallen in love with any girl yet. So, it won’t happen with a boy, either.

I had been thinking for a while that I should date. It was what I was supposed to do. What would make the Mage proud, and making the Mage proud is the only thing I’m supposed to do. That was last year, at the beginning of the second semester. And then a dragon attacked the castle again, and I defeated it. For once, all school was watching. I must have looked cool, or maybe some sort of legend ran around, but that’s when girls started asking me out. Philippa was the first. And I told her yes.

Once, I asked Penny when she had known she was in love with Micah. She said, by the third day of them talking, she already knew. I decided to add to that a little bit of margin, so I gave my relationship with Philippa a seven days chance.

It didn’t work, and I broke up with her.

Someone else asked me out the next day.

And here I am, a semester later, having dated half the school for a week, not having fallen in love with anyone. Penny insists that I should say no, but I don’t mind and besides, this way I might find the one I love.

When Baz asked me out, I accepted out of reflex. Because that’s what I do first thing on Monday morning — accept whoever asks me out. What are the chances of falling for a guy, who is also my political arch-enemy? I started this whole thing in order to find a girl to marry and have children with and make the Mage proud, yet here I am. Dating Baz. I can’t say I find it that terrible, I don’t really mind spending time with him. But the Mage won’t like it.

I get up. I would usually wait for my lover at the Dining Hall door first thing in the morning, but I have him right beside me. It doesn’t make sense. And his alarm will go off in a few minutes.

I stand up, go to his side of the room and shake his shoulder as gently as possible. He opens his eyes and turns his head to look at me.

“Good morning.” I smile at his dizziness and confusion, so different from how put together he always seems.

“Did you wake me up?” He asks sleepy.

I nod.

“Why?” He is not exactly annoyed, more like surprised and confused. And his eyes… His eyes are so big I can almost drown in them.

I shrug, looking away “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Let’s go.” He stands up. His drowsiness seems to go away and he looks his usual distant self.

“Where?” I ask.

“Fencing lessons.”

The conversation seems to have ended. We get dressed in our sports uniforms in silence and head to the gym. He goes through the warm-up in silence and I don’t try to force the conversation. The teacher and some younger students require my attention to guide them through the process.

When it’s time for the bouts, I draw against Baz. Ever since I started sports fencing, I have had trouble with the rules. I keep going for his legs and his head, wasting opportunities because I forget that I’m only supposed to hit the bust. I overcompensate this with strength and agility, and endless resistance. I’m relentless in combat because I fight for my life, and that shows when I’m doing sports, but I don’t know about the technique. Most of the time, the teacher will mention a guard and I won’t even know which one he’s talking about. She says I’m desperate. But I don’t think I do that bad. I end up losing four points to five.

Expected.

Baz is the absolute opposite of my fencing. He’s elegant, and his technique is flawless. His positions are perfect, every time the teacher mentions a new strategy, he’s the first one to master it. He’s the one that teaches the new students the basics. 

And in combat, all of this shows off. He’s not as heavy as I am, always knows where to hit, his movements are limited but also effective and strong, and he’s as light as a feather. It looks like he’s dancing on his feet, and he never stands still. He feints and probs a lot, almost before every movement, and that’s impossibly hard to fight against, but also beautiful to watch.

If I were to fall for Baz, the first reason would probably be his fencing.

After a shower, I meet Penny for our first class. She asks me about this week’s girlfriend. I shrug.

“It’s Baz.”

I think she doesn’t believe me at first, so I tell her everything that happened so far. 

“No, really? Did  _ he _ ask you out?”

“Yes, he did yesterday, early in the morning.”

“But he’s your archenemy, if it turns out right, both of you will be in trouble. Why did you accept?”

That’s the million-dollar question.

“I don’t know.” I pause. “But it’s okay. It has not worked until now anyway.”

After class, I go to the library to find Baz. I sit on his table.

“What are you doing here? Don’t you usually study in our room with Bunce?” He frowns.

“How do you know…? Nevermind. I came to keep you company.”

He shoots me a bothered glare and goes back to his book. But after a few seconds, he raises his head again.

“Wait, are we going out?”

I nod.

“Of course. You asked me out yesterday.”

He closes his book.

“Then let’s go.”

“Where?”

“To a date. It’s Tuesday already and I only have seven days.”

_ Only _ seven days? Is this a joke to him? Is he not trying for real? I guess this is good, right? If he isn’t taking it seriously, there are fewer chances for disaster.

“Um… Baz—”

He raises his eyebrow, “What? Isn’t a date a standard part of your itinerary?”

“Standard?” I frown. “There is no  _ standard _ .”

Baz smirks, “Then let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

I grab my bag and walk behind him.

We take the bus to the city.

“Where do you want to have lunch?” He asks.

I shrug. I usually go where the other person likes.

“There’s a nice ramen place. Five minutes walking from the bus stop.”

“Gorgeous.”

We end up eating in silence. I’m too lost in my thoughts, too worried about Baz not taking this seriously, about the fear of falling for him. It may seem silly, but I still have hope at the start of every week. I still wake up every Monday dreaming I will meet the right person, that I will feel that thing that, according to Penny, ‘I can’t quite describe but you will recognize as soon as you feel it.’ I dread feeling that right now.

Baz is also quiet and lost in his thoughts.

“Do you not like ramen?” I ask.

He turns to me, startled.

“I do, why?”

“Since you are so quiet, I thought you felt forced to do whatever I proposed first.”

“No, I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

He looks away. “Aren’t you too straightforward?”

“Yes, but I’m trying to have a date with you here. I can’t do it properly if I don’t know what you like.”

His expression turns warmer. I hadn’t realized he was so tense around me.

“It’s okay. I’m having a good time, and so should you. Let’s go shopping after this, I want a new pair of sneakers.”

We finish lunch and go buy the sneakers. I see Baz as I have never seen him before. He loses his uptightness and relaxes around me. He laughs at the jokes and makes small talk. He looks cheerful, as I haven’t seen him when we were too busy fighting. I find it harder and harder to look away from him.

Baz tells me he doesn’t go to the cinema often, because it’s not something Mages from wealthy families do. So I drag him to the theatre and we end up watching a film.

He falls asleep on my shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I used to do fencing. And I kind of miss it, so this is me shoving my interests into the fanfic.  
> Other than that, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter!! ^^


	3. Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Simon kiss?

Next morning we get to the Dining Hall together. Half of it is already full, and a few classmates approach us. They talk mainly to Simon. “Hey, Simon! Yesterday I saw you training.” “Things have been calm for you in recent days.” “Who’s your date of the week?”

“Me,” I blurt without thinking.

The conversation freezes for a moment before one of the girls shrugs it off with a laugh.

“No way! You would actually make a good pair.”

“Thank you,” Simon says. He has a nice smile on his face. I would say it’s his official smile if I believed him capable of pulling such a thing.

They smile back at him, some of them in a polite way, some others with sarcasm. Nobody believes us. Of course, they wouldn’t. But maybe it’s for the better. 

We spend breakfast together. Simon doesn’t force the conversation, but he answers every question of mine and follows every topic that I suggest. When I’m finished, he asks if I want some more, and gets up himself to get it.

We part for classes. So far, we’ve gone on a date and to the cinema together. I even fell asleep on his shoulder, and that was far more romantic than I could realistically expect three days ago. Next up is probably holding hands, and maybe kissing. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen Simon do any of that.

“Agatha.”

“Yes?”

Math class has finished and she looks at me, annoyed. She clearly wants to run away.

“Does Simon kiss?”

She scowls at me.

I remain quiet, waiting for an answer. She sighs.

“I’ve heard the rumours about you two, but I thought it wouldn't be true.” She pauses in the most annoying way. “Is it somehow related to your plan to make his life miserable? I thought you had dropped that habit a long time ago.”

I scowl her back. “Answer me.”

“He didn’t kiss me. And I don’t think he kissed anyone else.”

I hear myself breathing out. “Thank you.”

Then I leave before she can ask more. I don’t want to explain, although by now, if there’s any remote chance that anyone has taken it in seriously, probably all of the school knows, herself included.

Simon finds me during break and we go to an empty balcony. He even is considerate enough to bring me a bottle of juice. I hate to feel touched, so I try to mask it with a sarcastic remark.

“Are you doing this just to please me?” I say grumpily, but I still take the bottle.

Simon leans on the rails. “We are going out, isn’t it the right thing to do?”

“Too good to be true. Did you know that after what you said this morning, a bunch of girls follow me around?”

“You don’t like girls?” I notice by the face he makes that he has realized how awful it sounded.

“It’s not that,” I say. “I’d rather have one boy to like me.”

“Oh.” He falls quiet and turns towards the garden.

I observe him because that’s what I’ve been doing for years whenever he is unaware. He has a darker mole on his cheek, almost right under his eye.

Before I realize, I’m reaching to touch it.

He turns to my hand but doesn’t answer or step back.

I want to kiss him.

The bell for the next class rings.

We both take a step away, startled. Penelope appears out of nowhere, with a textbook in her hand.

“Simon! Hurry up, you know how Mrs Possibelf hates when students are late. I brought your textbook.”

He shouts “Thank you!” and hugs her.

I can’t resist it.

“Snow, don’t cheat!”

He turns to me, gives me a thumbs up and leaves with Penelope.

  
  


When the fencing lessons are over, Simon approaches me once again, ignoring the rest of our classmates.

“Let’s go for a walk.”

I nod. We go walk through the gardens, away from the castle and towards the forest. It’s a beautiful place. Dark yet colorful, full of shades of green. Just like any place kept by fairies and nymphs. It’s their brand of magic.

Simon holds my hand. His skin is warm, and the gesture feels natural, proper. Not at all like it’s something we’re  _ supposed _ to do. I can’t help but think of how many people he’s been with before, how many times he’s walked like this, fueling hope just to break up in a few days.

He stops, lets go of my hand and leans against a tree.

“This is probably my favourite spot in the forest,” he says.

“Probably?”

“There are too many that I haven’t seen yet, so I don’t know.”

“How many people know about this place?” I ask. And I regret immediately.  


“Penny. Me. Now you. I think that’s it.”

I look around, taking a deep breath in. “If I were you, I’d come here every week.”

“That would make it far less special.”

“You’re surprisingly thoughtful,” I say. I take a step closer to him.

“Am I?” He takes my hand and pulls. There it is. The mole. Agatha says Simon doesn’t kiss, but I close my eyes regardless.

I feel his lips, warm and soft against mine. An instant, and then it’s over.

I open my eyes. Simon is blushed.

“I’ve been tricked,” I whisper.

“What?”

“Nevermind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First kiss! First kiss! First kiss! Ahhh, at last we get to the tenderness and the sweetness and leave aside suspicions and plots! (For now). I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!


	4. Thursday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tantrums and the Mage (sorry guys)

##  SIMON

I kissed Baz yesterday.

It’s been so long since I kissed someone, and it had to happen with Baz. Is this his new way of trying to bring me down? Through romance? It was weird enough that he asked me out, and now we kissed. Maybe there’s a big evil scheme behind it all and it’s just his way to destroy me like this. Maybe he wants to lower my guards. Maybe his weird aunt told him to do this.

But he looked so vulnerable yesterday. So honest.

It’s hard to believe.

When I wake up, Baz is already awake and is leaving the shower.

“Good morning,” he says. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“Ah, I…”

“Are you going to kiss me good morning?” Before I can answer, he keeps going. “Because I won’t let you. Yesterday I laid a trap and you fell on it. It won’t happen again today.”

He has a playful smile on his face. I let out a laugh.

“Wait, who tricked who?”

He scoffs.

“Come on, you’ll be late for breakfast.”

We meet again during the lunch break. I have grabbed some sandwiches from the dining hall and I drag him to the stairs of the Divination Tower for a sort of picnic. I don’t have any ill intentions, but I want to be alone with him. Somehow with the other girls that wasn’t this difficult or wasn’t this  _ important _ .

“Let me take a nap on your lap.”

When he says that, I turn toward him.

“What?”

“Has no girl done this before?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer. He lays down and closes his eyes.

“I have a friend of mine who went out with you,” he says after a moment.

“Oh,” I say. This is not a conversation I want to have.

“Agatha Wellbelove.”

I nod. “I remember her.”

When I went out with Agatha, many girls had already started taking me dating them as a joke. It was impossible to deal with them because some wouldn’t take me seriously. Others would refuse to break up, saying it had been too short, that it was impossible for me to choose in one week. She had been neither. She had given the relationship a fair try, and then decided I was not right, so accepted the breakup just fine.

The conversation is luckily interrupted by a mockingbird who suddenly lands next to us.

I take it, pretending I’m not noticing Baz rolling his eyes. He sits up and keeps pulling faces the whole time as I receive the message and let the bird go.

I stand up.

“The Mage wants to meet me, I have to go.”

“Now? At lunch? Class starts in 15 minutes, give me a break.”

I nod.

“He wants to meet me.”

“So do I.”

“He sent me a bird.”

“I asked you out! Do you do this to everyone? Do you interrupt your plans with every girl you date because of your mentor’s whims?”

“The Mage doesn’t have whims!”

“Whims are the only thing that man is capable of feeling. But that’s okay. Whatever. Go.”

“Baz…”

“Go, I said! Do whatever!”

He leaves first.

I stand up and drag my feet towards the Director’s Office.

“Sir?”

“Simon, come here.”

I step inside. Two of the Mage’s Men are there.

“Simon, I’m sending these men on a reconnaissance mission, I would like you to go with them. It’d be a good training.”

My face shows the immediate wave of disappointment I feel. I was planning to do something special with Baz. A fancy dinner, maybe.

I know what the Mage is waiting for. The ‘ _ yes, sir’ _ , the bow and me leaving the room. I know that would have been my reaction a week ago. Even half an hour ago, probably. But I really wanted to spend that time with Baz.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I already have an appointment.”

“A what?”

“An appointment, sir. I’ve taken the fencing class as you said this week, and I went with Premal and the others last Wednesday. I will compensate with extra training, but… Not tomorrow. Please.”

Everyone looks too stunned to react. Even I feel a little awkward that I’ve just opposed The Mage. I decide to act as Baz would.

I bow.

“Thank you, sir.”

I close the door as I leave.

I don’t meet Baz again until fencing lessons. He distances himself from me, keeping himself busy, and I can’t approach him until training is over and we are leaving.

When we’re done and returning to our rooms, he’s the one who approaches me.

“Not bad.”

“Right? I’m improving!”

He nods silently. “You’re getting used to fencing as if it was an actual sport, and not a survival issue. I think that’s good.”

He’s way too serious. I nod.

“I’m sorry about what happened at lunch,” he says. “Now that I’ve thought about it, the tantrum was not necessary. Even I don’t get it, I mean… What was I mad about? It was nothing new.”

“How would I know?” I nudge his shoulder. “But I don’t think you need to apologize. After all, I like being tied down, I think.”

I say this to his ear, almost whispering.

He pulls back and turns around, towards our classmates a few steps behind.

“Hey Dev! Did you know? This guy here, he’s a masochist.”

Ashamed, surprised and probably red to the roots of my hair, I say nothing as Devon shrugs the joke away and we keep going to my room. I’m still quiet as I change into my pyjamas and lay on the bed.

The caretaker of one of the orphanages I spend summers at once told me that every day you go to sleep having learned something new. Today I have learned that I can go to the extent of rebelling against the Mage’s will if I’m given the right motivation. And that motivation is love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a little difficult to write, and we almost didn't finish it in time. Since we had erased Shino from the plot, we needed a different source of conflict. Although she's a little bit annoying (specially in the live action films, the actress does such a good job), she deserves better than being exchanged for the Mage. Heck, I wouldn't want that even for my worst enemy. My apologies, Shino.
> 
> Lately I've been a little busy with life, trying to make some difficult decissions, as well as trying to keep up with the uni work, which is not always easy, so I've been writing a little bit slower (and as you may have noticed in the last weeks, even sometimes forgetting to post...). However, I believe I will be able to keep posting one out of every two Thursdays, as . With this chapter out of the way, the rest of the plot lays more or less delineated. (No, I don't plan in advance for the fics. And no, I don't recommend you do that. You'll end up stuck writing fairy tale/manga AUs that plan the plot in your behalf).
> 
> I really hope you're enjoying this fanfic so far. I see that, for the first time, there are some people following the fanfic as it gets released, and I'm so happy that you are enjoying it enough to do so!!
> 
> (Btw, this is funny because when I write in English, the words in my head are pronounced with very Spanish accent, sometimes including the words I'm not supposed to pronounce, but I just finished watching Bridgerton and now everything has British accent to it.)


End file.
